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Updated: May 15, 2026
11:15
Determining the Contribution of the Energy Systems During Exercise
Published on: March 20, 2012
Energy systems transformation
A T C Jérôme Dangerman1, Hans Joachim Schellnhuber
1Transitions to New Technologies, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, A-2361 Laxenburg, Austria. dangerma@iiasa.ac.at
Summary
The current energy system is unsustainable due to resource depletion and waste. Shifting to renewable energy requires overcoming the "Success to the Successful" dynamic, potentially by reforming corporate law.
Area of Science:
- Industrial Ecology
- Energy Systems Analysis
- Environmental Economics
Background:
- Current industrial metabolism faces unsustainability due to declining resources and increasing waste.
- The incumbent fossil-fuel and nuclear energy economy is rigid and unlikely to persist.
- Transitioning to renewable energy sources is crucial but faces significant systemic barriers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the structural conditions causing the fossil-nuclear energy system's rigidity.
- To identify the key factors contributing to the dynamic lock-in pattern.
- To assess the role of modern corporate law in energy system inertia.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of the "Success to the Successful" dynamic in operations research.
- Examination of factors reinforcing the fossil-nuclear energy system (infrastructure, IT, population, financial crises).
- Identification and assessment of corporate law's influence on energy economy rigidity.
Main Results:
- The fossil-nuclear energy system's resilience is primarily due to a "Success to the Successful" lock-in pattern.
- Factors like infrastructure longevity and economic conditions reinforce this lock-in.
- Modern corporate law has been largely overlooked as a critical element maintaining energy system rigidity.
Conclusions:
- Reforming corporate law, specifically by assigning unlimited liabilities to shareholders, could significantly reduce the existing energy economy's rigidity.
- Addressing systemic lock-ins is essential for a swift transition to sustainable, renewable energy.
- A multi-faceted approach considering industrial, economic, and legal structures is needed for sustainable energy transformation.
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